JPH0338202A - Removing device for foam in liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove foams in liquid efficiently without utilizing gravity by disposing a porous plate disturbing foams in the liquid passing across a path of liquid containing foams and inclined to the downstream side of the liquid flow. CONSTITUTION:A porous plate 3 disturbing foams K in liquid 2 passing is disposed across a path of the liquid 2 containing the foams K and inclined to the downstream side of flow 8 of the liquid 2. That is, the foams are adhered to the porous plate 3 by means of adhering force generated by the surface tension of the foams K, and the foams are separated from the liquid passing through the porous plate 3 to separate and remove the foams contained in the liquid from the liquid even in a space in which gravity is not in action or gravity is small.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a bubble removal device capable of removing bubbles from a liquid even in a microgravity environment such as for use in space utilization-related equipment.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 2, in ground-based equipment, it is common to use the effect of gravity to separate air bubbles from liquid.

That is, the fluid containing the bubbles K is introduced into the container 21 as shown by the arrow 24, and the average flow velocity is reduced to achieve a condition in which the buoyancy force 22 is dominant as the force applied to the bubbles K, thereby eliminating the bubbles K. and move the liquid J downward 23. As a result, the bubbles are separated from the liquid, and the fluid J from which the bubbles have been separated is taken out from the lower outlet part 25 in the direction shown by the arrow, and the gas is taken out from the upper outlet part 26, thereby eliminating the bubbles with a relatively simple structure. Separation from liquid becomes possible.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned conventional separation device utilizes the separation effect of gravity, but in a microgravity environment such as outer space, the effect of gravity cannot be used and this method cannot be adopted.

The present invention aims to provide an apparatus that can efficiently remove air bubbles from a liquid without using gravity.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the device for removing air bubbles in a liquid according to the present invention, a porous body that prevents the passage of air bubbles contained in the liquid is arranged across the flow path of the liquid containing air bubbles and inclined toward the downward side of the flow of the liquid.

[Effect]

In the present invention, air bubbles contained in a liquid come into contact with a porous plate that crosses a flow path, and the air bubbles selectively adhere to the porous plate due to the adhesion force (interfacial tension). On the other hand, the liquid passes through the perforated plate and the bubbles and liquid are separated. In this way, in the present invention, bubbles and liquid are separated without relying on the action of gravity, and separation of bubbles and liquid is possible even in a zero gravity or microgravity environment.

Since the perforated plate is tilted downstream in the fluid flow direction, the air bubbles attached to the perforated plate are pushed downstream by the dynamic pressure of the liquid, and the bubbles adhere to the perforated plate on the most downstream side. Form a bubble mass in some parts. As described above, the liquid and bubbles are separated in most of the parts of the perforated plate other than the areas where bubble clusters are formed, and the liquid is sent to the downstream side with the bubbles removed. .

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

The container l has a cylindrical body with a circular cross section, the center part of which bulges out to form a large diameter part 1b, and an inlet part 1a and an outlet part IC for liquid are provided at the upper and lower ends.

A conical mesh 3 having an apex of 3 m on the upstream side of the liquid flow and extending obliquely to the downstream side is arranged in the large diameter portion 1b of the container l, and the lower edge 3b of the mesh 3 is connected to the container 1. The mesh 3 is attached to the inner wall of the large diameter portion 1b of the container 1, and the mesh 3 is arranged to cross the large diameter portion of the container 1, which is a liquid flow path. An annular gas absorption duct 9 having a gas outlet 9a connected to a decompression source such as a container empty tube or an ejector on the side and surrounding the same size 1d is connected to the large diameter portion 1b of the container l. □It is installed on the outside of the □.

A gas selective permeation membrane 10 such as VORETEX (trade name) is attached to the plurality of holes 1d.

Further, the size of the opening of the mesh 3 is set so that air bubbles in the liquid adhere to the mesh 3 due to surface tension and only the liquid can pass through it.

In this embodiment configured as described above, the liquid 2 containing bubbles K is introduced into the container l from the upper inlet port l as shown by the arrow. When the liquid 2 passes through the mesh 3 in the container 1 as shown by the arrow 4, the air bubbles contained in the liquid adhere to the mesh 3 due to surface tension and do not pass through the mesh 3. are separated, and bubbles K
The separated liquid J flows as shown by arrow 8 and is discharged from the lower outlet 1c.

On the other hand, the mesh 3 has a conical shape, and its apex 3m is on the upstream side of the flow of the liquid 2, and its side surfaces are inclined downstream. Due to the dynamic pressure of the mesh 3, the mesh 3
The air bubbles are pushed downstream and outward along the sides of the mesh 3 and form a bubble mass 7 below the mesh 3 @ 3b. This bubble mass 7 is a gas selectively permeable membrane lO that selectively permeates only the gas phase.
The gas is extracted through the depressurized gas absorption duct 9, and is discharged from the gas outlet 9m as shown by the arrow 11. In this way, the generation of the bubble mass 70 is suppressed, and the area of the mesh 3 for separating bubbles and liquid is secured.

As explained above, in this embodiment, separation of bubbles and liquid can be performed by adhering to the mesh 3 due to the surface tension of the bubbles, without relying on gravity, and therefore Even at the bottom, bubbles can be separated from the liquid.

In addition, the air bubbles collected by the mesh 3 are pushed downstream along the side surface of the mesh 3 that is inclined toward the downstream side by the dynamic pressure of the liquid, creating a bubble mass 7 at the lower edge 3m of the mesh 30. mesh 3 for separating air bubbles from the liquid by discharging them through a gas absorption duct 9;
area is secured, and the device can be operated continuously.

Although the mesh 3 is used in the above embodiment, other porous plates having openings that allow only liquid to pass through without allowing gas to pass through may be used.

Further, the shape of the perforated plate such as a mesh is not limited to a conical shape, but may be any shape that can guide the collected air bubbles to the downstream side, such as a hemispherical shape or a planar shape that slopes toward the downstream side. Any suitable shape can be adopted.

Further, the diameter of the opening of the porous plate such as a mesh varies depending on the diameter of the bubbles generated, but the diameter is not particularly limited as long as it is smaller than the minimum bubble diameter.

Furthermore, this embodiment is suitable for use in a zero gravity or microgravity environment because air bubbles can be separated and removed from a liquid without using gravity, but it should be noted that it can also be used in a normal gravity environment. Until then.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention allows air bubbles to adhere to a perforated plate by the adhesion force due to the surface tension □ of the air bubbles, and to separate the air bubbles from the liquid passing through the perforated plate, thereby creating a space where gravity does not act or where gravity is small. However, air bubbles contained in the liquid can be separated and removed from the liquid.

In addition, the bubbles separated from the liquid by the perforated plate are pushed downstream on the perforated plate tilted toward the downstream side by the dynamic pressure of the liquid, and the area of the perforated plate for separating the bubbles is secured, making it more efficient. Good bubble separation is achieved and the device can be operated continuously by removing the bubble mass that forms on the downstream side.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a bubble removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional ground-based bubble removing device. 1-Container, 2-Fluid, 3-Mesh 4-Direction of liquid flow 6-Direction of bubble flow, 8-Direction of liquid flow, 9-Duct for gas absorption 10-Selective gas permeation expansion, 11-Gas Phase flow direction. 7-Bubble mass,

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device for removing bubbles in a liquid, characterized in that a porous plate that prevents passage of bubbles in the liquid is arranged across a flow path of a liquid containing bubbles and inclined toward the downstream side of the flow of the liquid.